Our History in Brief

The School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND) began in Bavaria, Germany in 1833, under the leadership of Blessed Theresa of Jesus Gerhardinger. 

The Beginnings in Canada

Mother Caroline Friess, superior of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in North America, was invited by Rev. Eugene Funcken CR to send Sisters to the orphanage in St. Agatha, Ontario. 

The Motherhouse

The Motherhouse was built in 1927 upon the Niagara escarpment, just outside of Hamilton in Ontario. 

Western Missions

In 1927, a boarding school in rural Leipzig, Saskatchewan was built.  This was the beginning of a continuous and blessed SSND presence in western Canada, providing opportunities for education in isolated rural areas. Sisters ministered at Leipzig for 50 years.

In 1944, our Augustinian heritage drew Sisters to assist the Augustinian friars at their retreat house in Ladner, British Columbia, and to teach in the school in the monastery.  In the early years, Sisters were invited to staff schools in Saskatchewan, including Revenue, Handel, Salt Lake and Wilkie.  Mearns was the first mission in Alberta. 

From the mid 1960s until the present, Sisters broadened their ministries to include pastoral ministry, religious education, chaplaincy, counselling, the diocesan marriage tribunal, scripture study and prayer groups.  Over the years, 61 schools, parishes and other church or charitable organizations have been served by SSNDs in the west. In September 2005, as part of its centennial celebrations Saskatchewan will recognize the contribution of religious congregations, including SSND, to the education and health of the people of the province.

Northern Missions

In the 1970s and 80s, other missions were opened in native areas, including Nakina, Beardmore, Pine Point, Dryden, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Sioux Narrows and Grassy Narrows. 

England

After lengthy negotiations with the clergy, Mother Theresa accompanied six Sisters to Whitechapel, London, England in 1864 to teach the German and Irish immigrant children.

South America

In 1961, in response to Pope Paul VI's request to religious congregations to send missionaries to Latin America, four Sisters from the Canadian Province went to Bolivia. 

Africa

At present, one Canadian Sister works with other SSNDs, both native African and from the United States, as headmistress of a secondary school in Kiptere, Kenya.